Tools and Maintenance Items for the Full Time RV Life

[raytronx]

For the folks starting out and wondering what to carry I put together a blog post detailing the items and tools I carry full time.

You can't pack everything under the sun but I try to bring along enough to take care of minor things myself.

Cheers Ray

[hankpage]

Great list Ray. About the only thing I have added to it is a cordless 1/2" impact wrench & sockets. If you have ever tried to change a tire on the shoulder of an interstate you will really appreciate this addition. JM2¢, Hank

[SteveC7010]

Ray,

Super list! Unlike you, we're not full-timing, but I still like to carry lots of tools and supplies.

One item that I have mentioned several times in the threads is a #2 square driver. I actually have several of the plus #1, #2, & #3 square bits for the drill driver. (I tend to mention this tool over and over because it's so useful and can handle almost every screw in a trailer.)

Electrical testers, multimeter, regular and GFCI circuit testers (in pic) plus a plug-in AC voltmeter and several different probe testers.


Big wrenches! I look for them at yard sales and such. They were a bit more valuable when I used a WD hitch, but they also fit the nuts and bolts on the pin box. (That's my size 12 1/2 shoe in the pic!) I also picked up 3/4" drive socket that fits the ball nut on WD hitches. And a torque wrench, good to 120 ft/lb.


I have everything necessary to do complete brake and hub service on the trailer's axles.

Lots of spare parts for repairing most anything, but especially garden hoses and other RV plumbing and electrical. And up until I converted to LED, lots of spare 921 bulbs.

Both my truck and the wife's Jeep are new enough that many of the fasteners on them are metric so I've added a shallow socket set, open end wrenches, and am slowly accumulating most common sizes of deep sockets.

I also really like the foil HVAC tape and not just for heating and cooling systems. It's a bit weather proof so you can patch things outside the trailer, too.

The other tape that I keep reminding myself to get is Eternabond. It's the ideal product to patch a tear in the Dicor roof membrane and will work well on that new material that someone mentioned a while back. It can be a permanent repair item. And, of course, the Dicor self-leveling sealant to go with it.

I've always encouraged folks to try to anticipate their needs while camping and to plan accordingly. Nothing messes up a trip like something that breaks or fails that you can't fix then and there. Your tool and parts selection is a great example for people to follow.

[raytronx]

Thanks Steve and Hank

Eternabond tape and an Impact Wrench would be good additions for me.